Ultraman is a Japanese tokusatsu television series that first aired in 1966 and is a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q, though technically it is not a sequel to it or a spin-off of it. The show was produced by the Tsuburaya Productions, and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from July 17, 1966 to April 9, 1967, with a total of 39 episodes (40, counting the pre-premiere special that aired on July 10, 1966).
This series can be watched on Shout TV, Roku, Pluto, Prime Video, Tubi, and Vudu.
Production
Development
The project proposal and concept art for Science Special Search Party: Bemular
Ultraman's central characters were created by Eiji Tsuburaya of Tsuburaya Productions, a pioneer of special effects best known for bringing Godzilla to life in 1954. The show followed Ultra Q, a 28-episode black-and-white series often compared to the original The Outer Limits, though some critics likened it to The Twilight Zone or even The X-Files.
In March 1965, TBS producer Takashi Kakoi[1], impressed by four early test episodes of Ultra Q and the enthusiastic response from his son and friends, asked Tsuburaya Productions to develop a follow-up series. Tetsuo Kinjo, head writer and planner at the studio, led the project and attempted to revive the earlier, unproduced WoO project that had been planned with Fuji Television.[2] To refine the concept, Kinjo brought in poet and writer Masahiro Yamada, who had also worked on Ultra Q.[3][4][5]
On September 30, 1965, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company was confirmed as the sponsor of Ultra Q, scheduled to premiere on January 2, 1966, Sundays at 11 a.m. Following this, TBS officially ordered a successor series to air on July 7 after Ultra Q concluded. TBS set four main conditions: the new show should (1) consider color production for international markets, (2) feature an official organization that naturally drives the story through monster incidents, (3) include a heroic kaiju capable of fighting other monsters as an equal, and (4) retain at least one cast member from Ultra Q.[3]
Because Ultra Q featured ordinary civilians, their encounters with monsters often felt coincidental. To make the premise more coherent, the team decided the next series should center on a specialized unit that handles monster incidents. Drawing on the earlier WoO idea of "friendly aliens cooperating with humans," Kinjo created the project "Science Special Search Party: Bemular" .[6]
The plan described a "Science Special Investigation Team, Japan Branch," headquartered in Paris, investigating phenomena beyond police authority in cooperation with a righteous kaiju named Bemular. Bemular could merge with member Sakomizu and freely change size from human scale to 50 meters to defend Earth. However, the nature of Sakomizu and Bemular's relationship remained unclear. Based on these ideas, the proposal, Masahiro Yamada's "Bemular Story Plan Collection," and the sample script "Birth of Bemular" were completed.[3][7][8] Unlike the gentle alien in WoO, Bemular was envisioned as a strong, righteous warrior. Designed by Akira Watanabe, his appearance drew inspiration from the mythic Karasu Tengu, featuring wings and a refined silhouette. However, some critics felt Bemular's design too closely resembled other kaiju and lacked distinct heroic qualities.[5][9]
The project proposal and concept art for Science Special Search Party: Redman[10][11]
By January 1966, Ultra Q had become a surprise hit, revitalizing planning discussions between Tsuburaya Productions and TBS. Disagreements arose over whether the new hero should remain a kaiju, as some feared children might struggle to tell heroes from villains. According to reports, Eiji Tsuburaya proposed giving the hero a more human, noble appearance. As a result, Bemular's design was abandoned and reworked into the "Science Special Search Party: Redman" project.[3]
In this version, the protagonist was reimagined as a humanoid alien from a planet destroyed by invaders from Planet X. After arriving on Earth, he accidentally caused a plane crash that killed SSSP member Sakomizu. To atone, he revived Sakomizu and operated on Earth through him. In this draft, Sakomizu himself had died in the crash and his spirit became Redman. Sakomizu also had a girlfriend, Hikari Yuki, who later became a popular singer. This version introduced the "Flash Beam," an early concept of the Beta Capsule used for transformation in Ultraman.[3][7]
Sculptor Tohl Narita, who had worked on art design for Toho films, joined the project to design Redman. By this stage, most character names and personalities were finalized, and twelve scripts had been completed.[9] The "Final Agreement Report on Redman," issued on February 15, outlined several points: inheriting the themes of Ultra Q and expanding on kaiju motifs, keeping stories simple, focusing on Redman's battles with monsters, and preparing for international distribution. Scripts based on the finalized "Base Story Plan Collection" were completed by February 5.[16]
Actor Susumu Ishikawa, originally cast as Ide, had to withdraw after shooting promotional photos and parts of the first episode due to contractual issues and was replaced by Masanari Nihei. Narita proposed a sleek, cosmic design for Redman, while Kakoi suggested metallic tones. TBS's planning department, mindful of overseas markets, requested an "expressionless iron mask" look. After several design trials, Narita simplified the form, drawing on Greek concepts of cosmos, order and harmony, for inspiration. The result contrasted sharply with the kaiju designs of Ultra Q. Narita initially skipped sketches, working directly with sculptor Akira Sasaki to shape a mask prototype while personally crafting the statue. This design evolved into Ultraman, with Sasaki completing the final mask and costume.[16][5]
Filming
Ultraman's first suit; notice the lack of a Color Timer[17]
In early March, the hero design for Redman was finalized, and filming began later that month. Eiji Tsuburaya believed that "16mm film quality was insufficient for special effects," so he chose to shoot on 35mm film, similar to feature productions, and reduce it to 16mm for broadcast. While this approach ensured higher image quality, it placed a heavy strain on the budget. Because color film was costly, only the composite shots were filmed on 35mm to keep expenses down and make the visual effects appear more natural; the remaining footage was shot on 16mm. However, the team's limited experience with color filming led to frequent retakes and adjustments during production.[18]
Scripts under the working title Redman were completed only up to episode 7. To maintain secrecy, temporary titles were used from episode 4 onward. From episode 8, the show officially adopted the title Ultraman, chosen on March 10 for its distinctiveness and strong impact. The copyright registration was approved on March 22. On April 1, at the first press conference held at the Tokyo Art Center, footage featuring Ultraman, the SSSP team, Alien Baltan, and Neronga was shown to the media.[16]
During production, the staff were divided into four teams: Group A, supervised by Toshihiro Iijima,[19] produced three episodes; Group B, led by Samaji Nonagase, produced four; Group C, directed by Kazuho Mitsuta,[20] produced another four; and Group D, led by Hajime Tsuburaya,[21] produced two episodes. To save costs, Group A combined the main unit and special effects teams for their assignments. Although filming was initially scheduled to begin on February 25, it was delayed until mid-March, with delivery of finished episodes to TBS targeted for May 20.[16]
Early on, the staff worried that Ultraman appeared too powerful, which could reduce dramatic tension. To address this, they added the three-minute warning light known as the "Color Timer." Around the same time, the Beta Capsule was introduced as the hero's transformation device.[22][23]
Scene from The Birth of Ultraman special
Because of frequent reshoots, equipment rentals, script fees, actor payments, and other costs, each episode's production averaged between 4.5 and 4.7 million yen, putting both the schedule and budget under strain. Episode 28 of Ultra Q, titled "Open Up!!", was considered too unconventional for broadcast, so in an April meeting it was pulled from the schedule. As a result, Ultraman premiered earlier than planned, on July 10. With production already tight, producer Kakoi organized a commemorative event, "The Birth of Ultraman," held at the Suginami Public Hall on July 9. The event was filmed and aired the next day as a special program introducing Ultraman to audiences.[16][24][25]
The first episode aired on July 17 as scheduled. Filming for the "B team" episodes directed by Nonagase resumed in late July. Despite the compressed schedule, both the main footage and special effects scenes were produced with great precision.[26][27]
Suitmation
Ultraman's suit actor is played by Bin Furuya[28]
The Ultraman series pioneered the use of various monster costumes, known as "kaiju" in Japan, before other series like Kamen Rider and The Ultraman series was among the first to feature large-scale monster costumes, or kaiju, paving the way for later shows like Kamen Rider and Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. Veteran suit actor Haruo Nakajima, who had portrayed Godzilla, played many of the kaiju. Satoshi "Bin" Furuya was chosen to portray Ultraman for his tall, slender build and ideal proportions.[29][30][31]
Nakajima's athletic and martial arts background influenced Ultraman's combat style, which blended grappling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and Japanese martial arts rather than alien or supernatural movements. This approach grounded Ultraman's fighting scenes and became one of the series' trademarks.
Often, costumes of famous monsters such as Godzilla (as Jirahs in "The Mysterious Dinosaur Base") and Baragon were recycled and modified, sometimes with nothing more than spray paint and often while the actor was still wearing them. Nakajima humorously noted that the staggering gait of some monsters he portrayed was due more to the paint fumes that he had to endure than to his acting. Some quadrupedal monster costumes could not be shown fully because Nakajima's legs would drag on the ground, which was necessary for maintaining balance in the cumbersome outfits. Additionally, the high cost of repairing the scale model cities and landscapes used for battle scenes required careful planning and economy of movement.[32]
Impact
Ultraman vs. Kaiju
Along with contemporary works like Ambassador Magma, Ultraman helped establish the color tokusatsu TV drama genre.[33] Its large-scale special effects and alien creatures were unprecedented for television worldwide. Merchandise sales, including toys and other licensed products, provided stable income for Tsuburaya Productions through royalty revenue.
Although TBS wanted to continue the series, the studio struggled to deliver weekly episodes on schedule. After several rounds of discussion, Tsuburaya Productions decided to end the show after the third season's 39 episodes, despite strong ratings.
Upon its debut, Ultraman quickly surpassed Ultra Q in popularity, with the first episode drawing a 34.4% rating. The series averaged 36.8%, peaking at 42.8%. Even reruns achieved strong numbers, averaging over 18%. Since the 1970s, Ultraman has been broadcast in more than 100 countries and regions.
More than half a century later, Ultraman continues to resonate with audiences of all ages. Its commercial success extends beyond toys to a wide range of lifestyle products, securing its place as one of the most iconic and influential works in the entire Ultraman franchise.[34][35][36]
Synopsis
The Science Special Search Party (SSSP), also known as the Science Patrol in the English dub, is responsible for investigating mysteries and unexplained phenomena throughout the world. But human technology cannot always stand up to every danger, especially giant monsters and villainous aliens from across the stars.
When the going gets tough, they must rely on Ultraman: an otherworldly being who has chosen a human host in SSSP member Shin Hayata in order to best protect the innocent. With the stakes at their highest and their relationship kept a secret from all but a trusted few, both man and Ultraman must learn how to work with each other if they are to save the planet from the ever-encroaching forces of doom.[37]
Characters
Protagonist
SSSP
- Toshio Muramatsu
- Daisuke Arashi
- Mitsuhiro Ide
- Akiko Fuji
- Isamu Hoshino
- Dr. Iwamoto
- Liaison Jim
- Anne Morheim
- Alan Bilotz
- Gotoh
- Patty
Defense Force
- Chief of Staff
Others
- Michiko
- Chartham
- Professor Nikaido
- Akira Muto
- Osamu Suzuki
- Kanako Akikawa
- Yuki
- Satoru Fuji
Ultras
Kaiju
- Bemular
- Alien Baltan
- Neronga
- Ragon
- Greenmons
- Guesra
- Antlar
- Red King
- Chandlar
- Magular
- Suflan
- Pigmon
- Gabora
- Jirahs
- Gango
- Mummy Man
- Dodongo
- Pestar
- Gamakugira
- Gavadon A and B
- Alien Baltan II
- Bullton
- Alien Zarab/Imit-Ultraman
- Banila
- Aboras
- Hydra
- Kemular
- Underground People
- Telesdon
- Jamila
- Gubila
- Guigass
- Dorako
- Red King II
- Gomora
- Dada
- Goldon I and II
- Woo
- Keronia
- Zumbolar
- Giant Fuji
- Alien Baltan III
- Kemur II
- Alien Zarab II
- Alien Mefilas
- Skydon
- Seabozu
- Zaragas
- Re-Pigmon
- Re-Dorako
- Re-Telesdon
- Geronimon
- Keylla
- Saigo
- Alien Zetton
- Zetton
Cast
- Shin Hayata : Susumu Kurobe
- Toshio Muramatsu : Akiji Kobayashi
- Akiko Fuji : Hiroko Sakurai
- Daisuke Arashi : Iyoshi Ishii
- Mitsuhiro Ide : Masanari Nihei
- Isamu Hoshino : Akihide Tsuzawa
Voice Actors
- Narrator :
- Koji Ishizaka (1-19)
- Hikaru Urano (20-39)
Suit Actors
- Ultraman : Bin Furuya
- Kaijus, Aliens:
- Teruo Aragaki
- Haruo Nakajima
- Umenosuke Izumi
- Haruyoshi Nakamura
- Yukihiro Kiyono
- Shūji Fujita
- Hideyo Mangetsu
- Masanori Tobiko
- Fumio Ikeda
- Kunio Suzuki
- Akira Minami
- Koji Ogi
- Hakuyoji Watanabe
- Eiichi Matsushima
- Masahiro Oya
English Dub
- Peter Fernandez
- Corrine Orr
- Earl Hammond
Staff
- Directors: Hajime Tsuburaya, Toshihiro Iijima, Samaji Nonagase, Kazuho Mitsuta, Akio Jissoji, Yuzo Higuchi, Toshitsugu Suzuki
- Screenwriters: Shinichi Sekizawa, Tetsuo Kinjo, Toshihiro Iijima (as Kitao Senzoku), Masahiro Yamada, Samaji Nonagase (as Ryu Minamikawa), Keisuke Fujikawa, Shozo Uehara, Tatsuo Miyata, Mamoru Sasaki, Yuzo Higuchi (as Taro Kaido), Bunzo Wakatsuki
- Special effects directors: Koichi Takano, Toru Matoba, Hajime Tsuburaya, Sadamasa Arikawa
- Supervisor: Eiji Tsuburaya
- Producers: Toshiaki Ichikawa (ep. 1–13), Masami Sueyasu (ep. 14–39), Toshimichi Miwa (TBS)
- Music composer: Kunio Miyauchi
- Cinematographers: Masaharu Utsumi, Yasumichi Fukuzawa, Susumu Suzuki
- Special effects cinematographers: Koichi Takano, Kazuo Sagawa, Yoshihiro Mori, Kiyoshi Suzuki
- Lighting: Eiji Yamaguchi, Toshio Takashima
- Art: Chikyu Iwasaki
- Special effects art: Tohl Narita, Tatsuro Fukada, Kenichi Ose, Noriyoshi Ikeya
- Editors: Reiko Kaneko, Hisashi Kondo, Yoshihiro Yanagawa, Akio Ogura
- Sound effects: Sadamasa Nishimoto, Yoshio Arakawa, Cho Hisako
- Sound recording: Kinuta Laboratory
- Assistant directors: Shohei Tojo, Katsuyuki Yoshitaka, Toshitsugu Suzuki, Takashi Ohira
- Production managers: Ken Kumagai, Koji Morita, Akira Hisashiga, Hiroshi Uemura, Noboru Harada, Masahiro Shinozuka
- Kaiju and kaiju miniatures: Ryosaku Takayama, Akira Sasaki, Ekisu Productions, Eizo Kaimai, Toho Special Art Department, Tsuburaya Productions Special Art Staff
- Optical photography: Sadao Iizuka, Minoru Nakano, Koichi Kawakita
- Assistant special effects directors: Toshitsugu Suzuki, Masataka Yamamoto, Jun Oki
- Production: Tokyo Broadcasting System, Tsuburaya Productions
Music
- Opening Theme
- Ultraman no Uta
- Lyrics: Kyoichi Azuma
- Composition: Kunio Miyauchi
- Artist: Misuzu Children's Choral Group
Home Media
In 2006, BCI/Eclipse officially released Ultraman on DVD under license from then-rightsholder Chaiyo Productions. These releases featured the original Japanese soundtrack and the English dub. When Navarre folded BCI/Eclipse in December 2008, the series was shuffled over to Navarre's other home video label, Mill Creek Entertainment. In June 2009, Mill Creek re-released the complete series set on September 29, 2009, in a four-disc set with the same special features.
In Japan, there have been numerous releases in numerous home video formats over the last 25 years (from VHS to DVD) on several labels, including Bandai's various home video divisions such as Bandai Visual. On April 2013, Tsuburaya held a press conference announcing the new Ultraman Series show and character, Ultraman Ginga, where they also announced that the original 1966 show would be given an HD remaster treatment in Japan.
On July 2013, Tsuburaya released an HD transfer of Ultraman on Blu-ray titled Ultraman HD Remaster 2.0 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions. Tsuburaya planned to release the series on three separate box sets, each containing 13 episodes. The first box set was released on July 10, 2013, the second on October 25, 2013 and the third and final set on January 29, 2014.
A Malaysian DVD Boxset was released by VGB Network in 2013, containing Malaysian subtitles and English subtitles. Ultraman Memorial Box features four episodes in each DVD, and the last features three episodes. Ultraman Blu-ray Box I features episodes 1-13, Box II features episodes 14-26, and Box III features episodes 27-29.
Mill Creek Entertainment also released the series under Blu-ray and Steelbook editions in 2019, along with Ultra Q. The company would also release an exclusive Blu-ray release titled The Birth of Ultraman Collection on Ultraman Day (July 10), 2020, which features The Birth of Ultraman pre-premiere special, along with select episodes (1, 2, 19, 26-27, 33, and 37) of the series, in both Japanese and English dubbed audio.
Gallery
External Links
- Ultraman at Tsuburaya Productions' official website
- Ultraman at Wikipedia
- Ultraman at Japanese Wikipedia
References
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-4955
- ↑ https://ascii.jp/elem/000/001/273/1273700/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 02: Ultraman, pg 4
- ↑ https://ciatr.jp/topics/309724
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://www.nippon.com/ja/views/b04006/
- ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/YZSAr/
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://canbara1954.com/kaiju_16.html
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/52402/
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://middle-edge.jp/articles/sGags
- ↑ http://grammasa.blog27.fc2.com/blog-entry-878.html
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/addicto/entry-11428006077.html
- ↑ https://www.pen-online.jp/article/004435.html
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/addicto/entry-11428006077.html
- ↑ https://mainichi.jp/articles/20191128/pls/00m/020/255000c
- ↑ https://www.adfwebmagazine.jp/art/surrealist-painting-influences-and-iterations-in-japan/
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 02: Ultraman, pg 5
- ↑ http://blog.livedoor.jp/tokusatsu_action/archives/1278639.html
- ↑ https://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/001/400/1400519/2/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-6103
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkztRXw3PL8
- ↑ https://www.sankei.com/article/20230810-XPCOWPEHTJPFPCZYBCGPTWV3WQ/
- ↑ https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/color-timer_jp_627da329e4b06ce0a1b45570
- ↑ https://shin-ultraman.jp/about/
- ↑ https://news.line.me/detail/oa-penonline/osj4b9v7p8z7?mediadetail=1
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/0710_ultraman/
- ↑ https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/24rFb
- ↑ https://magmix.jp/post/100194
- ↑ https://tokusatsunetwork.com/2022/02/tamashii-nation-interview-with-original-ultraman-suit-actor-bin-furuya/
- ↑ https://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/news/entertainment/2014/10/14/37170/
- ↑ https://shinsho-plus.shueisha.co.jp/column/ウルトラマン不滅の10大決戦完全解説/10993
- ↑ https://www.taiseicoins.com/magazine/1908/
- ↑ https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20201124-1524669/4
- ↑ https://tezukaosamu.net/jp/mushi/entry/25622.html
- ↑ https://slowinternet.jp/article/ultraman01/
- ↑ https://www.nippon.com/ja/japan-topics/b02509/
- ↑ https://www.sanspo.com/article/20230927-A5OFE65MIFKDRNBABU7SGR7UQM/
- ↑ https://tsuburaya-prod.com/business/titlelist/3664